Main characteristics, differences and explanatory potentials of the organizational and the psychological approaches.

1. Yulia An
Pablo Correa
present
How are the news
decisions made?
Main characteristics, differences and
explanatory potentials of the organizational
and the psychological approaches
Communicator Research
WS 2013/14
05.02.2014
Prof. Andreas Schwarz

2. Organizational
approach
3 levels
3 vertices
The journalist’s work and behavior
in every newsroom are influenced
by his personal beliefs, opinions
and attitudes, role perception and
organizational patterns.
Psychological
approach
Socialpsychological
concept
Cognitivepsychological
concept

3. }
Organizational
approach
3 levels
3 vertices
The journalist’s work and behavior
in every newsroom are influenced
by his personal beliefs, opinions
and attitudes, role perception and
organizational patterns.
Psychological
approach
Socialpsychological
concept
Cognitivepsychological
concept

4. Organizational
approach
3 levels
The journalist’s work and behavior
in every newsroom are influenced
by his personal beliefs, opinions
and attitudes, role perception and
organizational patterns.
}
3 vertices
Psychological
approach
Socialpsychological
concept
Cognitivepsychological
concept

5. Organizational
approach to
journalism

6. Internal structure
Work routines
Work flow
} Predetermined

7. 3
levels of
organizational
approach
}
1.
🔗
Journalist
Newsroom

8. 3
levels of
organizational
approach
}
2.
🔗
News organization
Other organizations

9. 3
levels of
organizational
approach
}
3.
🔗
News organization
Society

10. structures
in the newsroom
}
organization content
structures
management

11. vertex one:
organization
}
prior function is
to coordinate and
motivate the work
and the tasks of its
members.

12. vertex two:
structure
}
distribution of roles
division of departments
work routines

13. vertex three:
management
}
influence on
what journalists reports
what editor writes
what to publish

14. Structurization
Theory
Giddens (1984)
}
Structures
interplay of rules and resources

15. Structurization
Theory
Rules
}
proceedings and
methodologies
– Turner, J.H. (1986)

16. Structurization
Theory
Resources
}
material equipment and
organizational capacities
– Turner, J.H. (1986)

17. findings
}
structural changes
cross-departmental teams
flattened hierarchies
computerization
new competition

18. findings
}
Gade (2004): organizational change
Altmeppen, et al.(1998): skills and knowledge
Esser (1998): organizational patterns
Wu and Chen (2005): organizational charts

19. Psychological
approach to
journalism

20. Severe time constraints
Pressure of competition
Lack of objective criteria
Risk of public failure
}
News
decisions

21. 1:
Socio-psychological concept of
social validation of judgments
through social interaction

22. 2:
Cognitive-psychological concept
of stabilizing existing attitudes
and cognitions

23. “
Social
Comparison
Theory
Festinger, L. (1954)
...an opinion, a belief or an attitude
is ‘correct’, ‘valid’ and ‘proper’ only
to the extent to which it is anchored
in a group of people with similar
beliefs, opinions and attitudes.
1: Socio-psychological
– Donsbach, W. (2004)

24. “
Shared Reality
Theory
Hardin, C.D. & Higgins, E.D. (1996)
...shared reality is the product of the
motivated process of experiencing a
commonality of inner states about
the world.
– Echterhoff, G., Higgins, E. T. & Levine, J. M. (2009)
1: Socio-psychological

25. “
Psychology of
Perceptions
Perception is a process of gaining
information from the environment
as well as from the cognitive and
physical system.
– Donsbach, W. (2004)
2: Cognitive-psychological

26. Psychology of
Perceptions
Degree
of Selectivity
}
i. Selective attention
2: Cognitive-psychological

27. Psychology of
Perceptions
Degree
of Selectivity
}
ii. Selective perception
Hypothesis theory
Schema theory
2: Cognitive-psychological

28. Psychology of
Perceptions
Degree
of Selectivity
}
iii. Selective retention
2: Cognitive-psychological

29. Psychology of
Perceptions
Theories of
Consistency
}
Dissonance
avoid situations and information
seek consonant information
2: Cognitive-psychological

30. “
Theory of
Instrumental
Actualization
Kepplinger, H.M. (1991)
Events which support the position of
either one of the protagonists in a conflict
are called instrumental. The publication
of information on these events is called
instrumental actualization.
– Kepplinger, H.M., Brosius, H., & Staab, J.F. (1991)
2: Cognitive-psychological

31. news stories
editorials
against trade unions –
for employers
for trade unions –
against employers
editorials
for trade unions –
against employers
2: Cognitive-psychological
news stories
Kepplinger, Brosius, & Staab (1991)
against trade unions –
for employers

32. Organizational
or psychological
approach?

33. ?

34. ?
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35. ?
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36. ?
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37. References
Donsbach, W. (2004). Psychology of news decisions: Factors behind journalists’
professional behavior. Journalism, 5(2), 131-157.
Echterhoff, G., Higgins, E. T. & Levine, J. M. (2009). Shared reality: Experiencing
commonality with others’ inner states about the world. Perspectives on
Psychological Science, 4(5), 496-521.
Festinger, L. (1954). A theory of social comparison processes. Human Relations, 7,
117-140.
Hardin, C.D., & Higgins, E.T. (1996). Shared reality: How social verification makes
the subjective objective. In R.M. Sorrentino & E.T. Higgins (Eds.), Handbook of
motivation and cognition: The interpersonal context, 3, 28–84. New York: Guilford.
Kepplinger, H.M., Brosius, H. & Staab, J.F. (1991). Instrumental actualization: A theory
of mediated conflicts. European Journal of Communication, 6, 263-290.
Turner, J.H. (1986). The Theory of structuration. American Journal of Sociology, 4,
969-977.
Illustrations used in presentation:
www.wtek79.deviantart.com
www.el-karamelo.deviantart.com
www.ainitolonen.deviantart.com

38. Questions and Comments
Contact details:
yulia.an@tu-ilmenau.de
pablo.correa-gonzalez@tu-ilmenau.de
Communicator Research
Institute of Media and Communication Science
Technische Universität Ilmenau